John Carpenter quotes

John Carpenter is an American director, screenwriter, and composer best known for his influential work in the horror and science fiction genres. His films, such as "Halloween," "The Thing," and "Escape from New York," have become cult classics and shaped the landscape of genre cinema. He is also recognized for composing many of his own film scores, adding to his unique cinematic style. Here are 28 of his quotes:

Evil hiding among us is an ancient theme.

John Carpenter

When somebody who makes movies for a living - either as an actor, writer, producer or director - lives to be a certain age, you have to admire them. It is an act of courage to make a film - a courage for which you are not prepared in the rest of life. It is very hard and very destructive. But we do it because we love it.

John Carpenter

I can play just about any keyboard but I can't read or write a note.

John Carpenter

I staggered through my career and came out the other end, alive. I made some films that meant something to me. In my opinion, they weren't all great, and they weren't all successful, but they sure were ‘me'. And this is what I was going through or thinking or feeling as a director at the time, and I'm very proud of them. A lot of great directors just never had the chance to have their work appreciated and celebrated and watched, all these years after they were made. So, man, what do you want out of life? It's great!

John Carpenter

There were two times in my life that inspired me the most. The first was when I was a kid, probably the most emotionally influential time, when you're naïve and innocent. I went to movie theaters and fell in love with genre films in the 1950s, when there was a big wave of monster movies. My passion came from the young guy who was watching The Fly back in 1958. Then, going to USC I began to watch movies in a different way and was exposed to different kinds of movies, foreign films. We had directors like Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks and John Ford come down and lecture us. It was unbelievable!

John Carpenter

There are two different stories in horror: internal and external. In external horror films, the evil comes from the outside, the other tribe, this thing in the darkness that we don't understand. Internal is the human heart.

John Carpenter

What scares me is what scares you. We're all afraid of the same things. That's why horror is such a powerful genre. All you have to do is ask yourself what frightens you and you'll know what frightens me.

John Carpenter

First of all, I was a wrestling fan when I was young. Even when I figured out what wrestling was, I was still a fan.

John Carpenter

I made a decision back in 1978 that, in a trade off for money when I directed Halloween, I would have my name above the title in order to basically brand these movies my own.

John Carpenter

I don't want to be a part of the demographics. I want to be an individual. I wear each of my films as a badge of pride. That's why I cherish all my bad reviews. If the critics start liking my movies, then I'm in deep trouble.

John Carpenter

One could make money and get a career going with a low-budget horror film about killers attacking on holidays. It is always flattering to have somebody copy you.

John Carpenter

Film buffs who don't live in Hollywood have a fantasy about what it's like to be a director. Movies and the people who make movies have such glamour associated with them. But the truth is, it's not like that. It's very different. It's hard work.

John Carpenter

I don't watch my films. I've seen 'em enough after cutting them and putting the music on. I don't ever want to see them again.

John Carpenter

It's a very good time for horror. This business certainly has changed, but there's still room for serious horror films. Look at 28 Days Later, that's not a tongue-in-cheek picture.

John Carpenter

One of my heroes is a composer named James Bernard, and oh my God... I can still listen to his music today and be stirred and moved by it. But I think that you fall in love with... Well, again, when you're young, it really is more powerful. Much more terrifying.

John Carpenter

There are a lot of movies that I don't care about, especially not remakes.

John Carpenter

I enjoyed 'The Avengers.' I couldn't do that kind of movie though. Superheroes aren't my deal.

John Carpenter

I have two different categories of favorite films. One is the emotional favorites, which means these are generally films that I saw when I was a kid; anything you see in your formative years is more powerful, because it really stays with you forever. The second category is films that I saw while I was learning the craft of motion pictures.

John Carpenter

From early on, when synthesizers were first introduced into music, I liked the idea that you could get a big sound with them, electronic, but like an orchestra. And I could play it all myself. That was exciting.

John Carpenter

I had a talent for scoring films; I just developed it.

John Carpenter

In Halloween, I viewed the characters as simply normal teenagers. Laurie, Jamie Lee's character, was shy and somewhat repressed. And Michael Myers, the killer, is definitely repressed. They have certain similarities.

John Carpenter

Way back in the '70s, I was approached to talk about the story I'd write for a Spider-Man movie. They also talked to me about Batman. I had to think about it, but that was way, way back when.

John Carpenter